


Through Oceans Have I Come

by NotManTheLessButNatureMore



Category: The Musketeers (2014)
Genre: Friendship, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-12
Updated: 2020-11-12
Packaged: 2021-03-09 18:15:06
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 353
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27530596
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NotManTheLessButNatureMore/pseuds/NotManTheLessButNatureMore
Summary: Athos is not the most hopeful of souls. Porthos has enough for the two of them.(title taken from Catullus 101, specifically the Anne Carson translation in Men In The Off Hours)
Comments: 15
Kudos: 17





	Through Oceans Have I Come

“And what if I’m not around then.” Athos says quietly, almost too quietly for Porthos to hear.

It’s drawled, as much as his noble speech can ever be drawled, but it’s a reminder to Porthos of the amount of alcohol still clinging onto his blood. 

“You’ll be around.” Porthos counters softly, assuredly, while staring down the length of Aramis’ sword. Their medic left his weapons belt behind when he stepped into the next room for some well earned rest and Porthos has begun cleaning the already clean weapons.

Porthos looks across now to where his brother lies. His shirt is a fresh one but already looks sweat stained, strands of hair are plastered to his forehead, and his eyes look sunken into his pale face made paler by the thick, dark beard he is sporting. 

“Why did you leave?” Porthos asks. His tone is neutral; he doesn’t sound as hurt as d’Artagnan did or as angry as Aramis. 

“I...” Athos’ voice trails off, his mouth stalls and Porthos tries to see the next word in the purse of his lips. Watching his dull eyes, Porthos imagines the way the sentence would have gone . 

_ I had to leave.  _

_ I didn’t want to leave.  _

_ I couldn’t let you see me like that. Forgive me. _

“Athos?” Porthos can hear movement in the next room now and knows that it’s Aramis and that he’ll reappear any minute.

Athos’ eyes move slowly from the bedsheet his fist is twisted in, to the floor, to Porthos’ knees, and finally to meet his eyes.

“You’ll be around.” 

Porthos says this firmly, with more conviction and more certainty than he would have if he had been asked his own name. All four of them will be around until their old and grey days he is sure, because Porthos has made a pact with the god that Aramis trusts so much.

“Thank you.” It’s barely above a whisper and then Aramis is coming through the doorway with the cross around his neck hanging loose and his hand squeezes Porthos’ shoulder on his way past to their brother’s bed.

“What did I miss?”

**Author's Note:**

> ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯
> 
> Thanks for reading!


End file.
